progress city test drive #1

[progressmods]

TEST DRIVE MEME

Here You Leave Today And Enter The World Of Yesterday, Tomorrow And Fantasy. Welcome to Progress City's first official test drive meme! This game is a panfandom jamjar set in a flux dimension inspired by Disney Theme Parks (particularly Walt Disney World in Florida) and the original concept for EPCOT (a city that would connect to the theme parks). Whether you're looking to join us or are just here to play around for a little bit, we have a few prompts below for you - but you're also free to come up with your own!

Prompt A Whatever you're doing, wherever you are, you find a vintage-looking ticket. The next time you blink or close your eyes for any reason, you open them and find yourself somewhere else - Progress City's Ticket and Transportation Center. You have no idea how you got here, and definitely don't know how you got this weird thing on your wrist... You'll learn, eventually, that Progress City and it's world-class themeparks are a popular tourist dimension across this universe. People can get in here very easily, but for some reason, that unremovable band on your wrist isn't allowing you to use their transporters to get home. To compensate, you'll be offered a job in the parks and free housing for the duration of your stay. Is that something you're willing to take?

Prompt B While you're here, you might as well spend some time around the theme parks in your downtime. It's easy enough to get to them - the city offers free 24/7 monorail and peoplemover transportation to each park, and you also get a free annual pass for yourself with your stay (lucky you)! If you're at all familiar with Walt Disney World, these four parks will seem...remarkably familiar to you. But there's little subtle differences here and there that that make this seem different - and the ones in charge will seem confused by the concept of a "Walt Disney World". Must be a thing about different dimensions. Nevertheless, you're still going to have the occasional bit of free time here, so there's plenty to see and do here across all four areas. Go ride some rides and eat some Dole Whip, you crazy kids.

Prompt C With the housing, you also get offered a job by Progress City's mayor. Maybe you decide to take it, maybe you don't, he's not gonna kick you out of your apartment unless you deserve it. But this poses a good way to get some actual money. You'll be matched to a job around the resort - hopefully one you enjoy. You could end up working in the parks as a ride operator, serving food, managing a shop, working security, or ending up as a pool lifeguard. There are a number of possibilities here, and you can always change your job later on if you find one that may suit you more.

Prompt D Over time, the thing on your wrist changes. Namely, it'll start taking on new colors, designs and occasionally icons that reflect your character's personality and appearance. You'll find that by concentrating you'll be able to utilize your band to... cast magic spells, of all things. These also seem tailored to your character - summoning weapons, creating projectiles, putting foes to sleep? It seems that no two bands are alike when it comes to this. ...Occasionally, you'll spot one or two small ink blot-like creatures scurrying about the city or the parks, creating an inky mess and leaving a small amount of chaos in it's wake. Those don't seem advertised. Perhaps they'd be good to try out your new abilities on, or maybe you'd prefer to practice a little bit first.

Wildcard As always, feel free to come up with your own scenario if none of these inspire you!

Comments

Sheldon Plankton | Spongebob the Musical

[andbegone]

C

[Sheldon considered himself a smart individual. Actually, a genius, a genius with very many talents. Talents which were currently being wasted on the job he'd been assigned-- serving food.

It's wasn't necessarily bad, at least not enough to switch jobs. It was easy, and it left him with a lot of free time. The biggest problem was that it was still one step away from knowing how to actually make any of the snacks from scratch. Which is kind of what he needs. He's seen how popular the Dole Whip is. He's sure there's nothing stopping anyone (say, him, for example) from setting up a better food stand.

But it's fine. He can find a way to work with this. One of these customers has to be in charge of actually making the stuff, and even if they don't maybe they're just really good at analyzing recipes from taste alone. So the next time anyone steps up to the stand to purchase one, he leans casually on the window ledge.]

Hey, do you know what? This Dole Whip is some really great stuff. Top-notch. I wonder what the exact composition of this ice cream is? Or what the specific ratio of pineapple to ice cream might be? You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?

[It's fine. It's just some friendly conversation!]

D

[The band on his wrist is tacky at best, though at least it's a good color-- it's mostly annoying in that he just can't take it off. But it does have one benefit. A very nice benefit. It admittedly took quite a while for him to try to figure out what the cards have to do with anything, but as soon as he does figure it out... well.

If you see someone on the outskirts of any given area launching tiny fire projectiles into a random direction, don't worry about it.]

Fire. Fire. FIRE. YES.

[Does he know you don't have to actually say it aloud to use the cards? Most likely. Does he care at the moment? Not really. He needs more of these immediately.]

Wildcard

[because who doesn't like more options]

c

[computerwife]

Up to the same shit as always I see.

[andbegone]

[He slams a Dole Whip down onto the window's counter with more force than is necessary. It just spills pineapple juice all over, which kind of undermines the effect.]

Leave me alone, Karen, can't you see I'm busy working?

[This counts as work.]

[computerwife]

[eye roll]

Really? Because it seems to me like you're trying to talk a secret recipe outta people. Just, plain ol' regular people. What happened to your pride, Sheldon?

[andbegone]

[What happened to his pride, indeed. He rolls his eye right back at her (granted, with far more dramatics) and leans over the counter.]

And what would you recommend I do instead? I haven't noticed you doing anything to help us succeed in this place. Don't tell me you're really content to work in customer service.

[computerwife]

I don't know, but I'm about ninety nine percent sure that ordinary customers won't know how it's made. How the hell did you even get that idea in your head in the first place?

[Like, really?? What are you thinking??]

And of course I'm not content with customer service! It's the worst.

[andbegone]

If you hate it so much then why aren't you helping me achieve Dole Whip domination instead?

[HMM?]

Besides, it's not like there's anyone else to ask. You really think the management would tell me anything?

[computerwife]

I'm not naming names, but a certain someone here has a history of demanding people give him what he wants rather than asking like a normal person. No wonder that no one will tell him anything ever. [just saaaaaying]

And I'm not about to leave my current job to help with your schemes if they're all going to be this stupid, Sheldon. Come up with something better than this and then I might listen.

[andbegone]

Right, like asking's going to work any better.

[He wouldn't actually know, because she's absolutely right, but he's also not going to try it any time soon either.]

Kaaaareeen, c'mon, you know our best plans are the ones we come up with together. [Meaning the ones she comes up with and he just claims he helped think of but. Details.] And I know you'd rather work on failed evil schemes than on no schemes at all.

[computerwife]

[...Yeah. Sheldon's right. She hates to admit it, but he's definitely right. Whether or not they fail doesn't really matter, because the real thrill for her is actually just coming up with their many evil fast food domination schemes. If they get something out of it, that's awesome. An added bonus they didn't expect. No telling for certain though since most of them do end up failing.]

......When are you free?

[andbegone]

Right now.

[He just. Takes off his apron and gloves and wads them up before tossing them over his shoulder, walking right out the back of the stand.

He's definitely in the middle of a shift right now.]

I hope you've got a place in mind, because I sure don't.

[Or like, nowhere where it won't raise eyebrows that they're talking about overtaking the whole place. He doesn't bother getting out enough to investigate convenient plotting locations.]

C

[itsthecount]

[Your current customer is wearing a terrible disguise - namely, he's grafted a pencil thin mustache on to his face and is wearing a suit and tie. He's wearing a very-obvious black wig, and has a horribly-vintage-and-vaguely-terrifying Mickey Mouse doll shoved in his front pocket.

He speaks with a slight midwestern accent, though it's not very well-practiced.]

Of course I, the famous Yensid, know about the recipe for this particular brand of pineapple whatsits! That is because I am the creator of Progress Town and Michael Mouse, you know.

["Yensid" leans forward on the counter casually sipping on the his dole whip float.]

And I will tell you if you divulge the location of any rich orphans that you know of.

[andbegone]

[That sure is an outfit, alright. Actually the whole act is... a lot, and Plankton takes a long moment just staring critically at him.

He really has to weigh his options, here. Is this suspicious? Yes. Is it stupid? Undoubtedly. Can this guy actually be of any use? Well, probably not, but he's at least willing to assist to some degree (given that he isn't lying, which also seems unlikely).]

Do you have any idea how many orphans there are around here? I don't go around asking them how rich they are.

[And yet. He'll take it.]

...But I'll tell you what. I can find them if you give the recipe to me in advance.

[itsthecount]

Oh no, that is not how trades with The Famous Yensid work. They are equal trades. How are you to deliver on what I want if there is no collateral?

[Count Olaf is many things. Terrible. Untalented. Wretched. But occasionally, the man levies a good point.]

[andbegone]

Oh, of course.

[Well, it was worth a shot, but there goes any chance of just getting out of this situation entirely. Aggravating, but if he has to go chase down orphans just to get what he wants-- well, he's stooped lower, though he's already exasperated just at the thought of this being a waste of time.]

And if these orphans of yours aren't here?

d

[seasonthree]

You know, my very real dragon is good at breathing fire too. So wonderful, so talented. I miss him.

[andbegone]

[Plankton only vaguely looks over his shoulder when the bearded fellow approaches, but he has to do a double-take once he actually speaks to him. Partially because he was expecting slightly more awe, really, but also he doesn't fully process whatever the hell he's talking about right off the bat.]

Your very real--

[Did he just say dragon 'cause uh. That sounds like some real bullshit to Plankton. Completely distracted now from what he was doing before, he squints at the guy for a couple of seconds before he realizes what he was trying to do-- clearly it was an attempt to undermine the impressiveness of his abilities.]

Ah. I see. I see what we're doing here. Alright.

[Clears throat. This is a contest now (right? that's obviously what this guy was going for) and he intends to win it. He's good at being extra and twice as good at lying. And he does appreciate a good challenge.]

Yeah, well, my very real army of sea bears is just as talented as your dragon.

[seasonthree]

You have an army of sea bears?! How wonderful! I have no idea what those are, but they sound absolutely ferocious and terrifying! I want one!

[(:]

But I don't think they're as good as my Tad Cooper. He's a terrible and bloodthirsty killing machine, you know!

[andbegone]

Oh yes, they are. The most ferocious. Absolutely vicious. And they don't listen to just anyone, you know. Only the wildly charismatic.

[well now he's getting defensive over his fictional army of sea bears. he steeples his fingers, squinting at Richard critically. you're on thin ice pal]

Tell me, if you've never even heard of, much less seen a sea bear before, how could you possibly know your dragon is better than my army? Hm?

[seasonthree]

Oh goody! Then they'll definitely listen to me for sure! I'm- wildly charismatic, you know! The most charismatic king to ever exist!

[he pauses for a second]

Well.... I'm just taking a good guess. No army has defeated my dragon yet.

[but that's mostly because tad cooper hasn't fought against any armies at all]

[andbegone]

Then clearly your dragon hasn't faced my sea bear army. It'd be no contest, believe me.

[he's also guessing. he's never met a dragon before.]

And just how am I supposed to believe you're that charismatic when I've never even heard of you? You'd think a king like that would've at least earned a mention from somebody... anybody.

[seasonthree]

I have earned mentions! More mentions than you!

[take THAT you small man]

I'm the most feared king in the land!

[andbegone]

Oh yeah? Name one mention. One. Because it sounds to me like you're just making up titles.

[seasonthree]

...Galavant can confirm.

[but he's not here so

fuck]

[andbegone]

Like I know who that is.

[sorry your fucking twunk boyfriend isn't here Richard but Plankton really couldn't care less]

That's it? Only one supporter?

[god that's pathetic, says the guy who also only has one supporter]